Louisiana House votes to allow raw milk sales

While the agriculture committee had spent hours debating whether to allow sales of raw milk, the House spent less than five minutes on the proposal before passing it in a 77-19 vote Wednesday.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Louisiana House has agreed to lift the state’s ban on sales of raw milk from farmers to the public.

While the agriculture committee had spent hours debating the idea, the House spent less than five minutes on the proposal before passing it in a 77-19 vote Wednesday.

Supporters of Rep. Stephen Ortego’s bill say people should have the freedom to buy unpasteurized milk. Opponents say the milk is unsafe because it doesn’t go through the heating process designed to kill harmful bacteria.

The proposal for Louisiana would allow people to buy raw milk directly from a farmer, not at a grocery store. The point of sale must carry a sign warning that the buyer assumes all liability for health risks.